Author: Anadolu Agency

The Kremlin on Thursday accused Europe of “militarizing” itself so much that it has turned into a “war party.” “Europe has so far gone into militarizing itself and has rather turned into a war party,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow. Expressing that Russia hears many signals coming from Europe every day, Peskov argued that signals from Brussels and other European capitals mainly concern plans to militarize the bloc. He said that this is “clearly at odds with the attitude of the presidents of Russia and the US to seek ways to enter into a peaceful settlement process.”…

Israel’s systematic home demolitions in the West Bank aim to change the demography of the occupied territory, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. A ministry statement said scores of homes were razed by the Israeli army in the northern West Bank, especially in the Jenin refugee camp where Israeli authorities threatened to demolish 60 houses there. “The widespread destruction of the refugee camps aim to change their geography, and permanently displace their residents,” it added. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a military base in the occupied West Bank. The ministry called Netanyahu’s visit “provocative” and aimed…

Muslim women and Black individuals are experiencing growing racial discrimination in Germany, according to a comprehensive national study released Thursday. The 2025 National Discrimination and Racism Monitor (NaDiRa) report found that 54% of those who faced discrimination due to their skin color, or religion, experienced biased treatment at least once a month. The findings showed that Muslim women (61%), Black women (63%), and Black men (62%) encounter the highest rates of subtle discrimination. Among Black individuals, skin color was identified as the primary factor in up to 84% of discriminatory incidents, while for Muslim respondents, religious bias was the main…

The European Commission’s coordinator on combating anti-Muslim hatred told Anadolu that Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip have contributed to the rise of Islamophobia in Europe in recent years and warned against normalization of anti-Muslim hatred in Europe. “Anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of racism and discrimination are unfortunately being normalized in discourse which may give a sense of impunity to hateful actors,” Marion Lalisse said in an email. “The polarized environment that we face, especially since 7 October, has had concrete consequences on the levels of hatred affecting several groups in society, including Muslims and Jews and people perceived…

The death toll for Russian troops in the ongoing Ukraine conflict may have surged to as high as 250,000, according to a report from Britain’s Ministry of Defense. The report estimates that the Russian Armed Forces have sustained approximately 900,000 casualties—both killed and wounded—since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. Of these, it is believed that between 200,000 and 250,000 Russian soldiers have died, marking the largest loss of life for Russia’s military since the Second World War. It claimed that President Vladimir Putin and senior military officials are likely prepared to tolerate high levels of…

Protesters took to the streets across Bangladesh on Thursday, condemning Israel’s renewed military offensive in Gaza and calling for the immediate arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party also held rallies across divisional cities. Calling Netanyahu a “bloodsucker and brutal killer,” party leader Nurul Islam Bulbul told a rally at the national mosque, Baitul Mukarram, that “Netanyahu keeps continuing crimes against humanity in Gaza, bypassing all the international law and norms.” He demanded that world Muslim leaders work to establish a free and peaceful Gaza instead of being silent or extending support to Israel. Bulbul demanded…

US President Donald Trump “fully supports Israel” as Tel Aviv resumes its attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip, the White House said Thursday amid an escalating death toll. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt continued to blame Hamas for Israel’s decision to renew its offensive following a breakthrough ceasefire that endured for roughly two months, saying Trump “has made it very clear that he wants all of those hostages to come home.” “And he fully supports Israel and the IDF and the actions that they’ve taken in recent days,” she added, using an acronym to refer to Israel’s military. More than 700 Palestinians…

North Korea warned Japan on Thursday against deploying long-range missiles on the southernmost Kyushu Island, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The policy section chief of the Institute for Japan Studies under the Foreign Ministry issued a statement harshly criticizing Japan’s consideration of deploying the missiles. Japanese media reported Sunday that Tokyo was considering deploying an upgraded version of the GSDF’s Type-12 land-to-ship guided missile, with an extended range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) in North Korea and China’s coastal range, in efforts to acquire “counterstrike capabilities” to hit enemy targets if a need arises. “Japan, a war criminal…

US warplanes carried out new airstrikes in Yemen’s coastal province of Al-Hudaydah and the northern province of Sadaa on Thursday evening, the Houthi group said. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television said that four strikes targeted the Al-Kathib area in the Al-Mina district in the Al-Hudaydah province. Al-Hudaydah, overlooking the Red Sea, is one of Yemen’s most strategic provinces, housing an international airport, three key ports, and an extensive coastline. Later, the same channel reported another US airstrike on the Al Asayid area in the As Safra district of Saada province, the group’s stronghold near the Saudi border. No information was yet…

The US State Department approved the sale of advanced precision kill weapon systems and related equipment to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said Thursday. The estimated cost of the sale is $100 million. “The proposed sale will improve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats and give it the ability to precisely engage targets with much less risk of collateral damage than other guided missile systems,” it said in a statement. The principal contractor will be BAE Systems, Inc. in Falls Church, Virginia. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the…